Sex: Why It’s Bad (and Oh So Good) for You

Talk about a mood-killer. We recently heard that vigorous sex can trigger heart attacks, and that doing the deed can literally blow your mind (and not in a good way).What's worse, alcohol seems to increase the risk. But before you put on your...

Talk about a mood-killer. We recently heard that vigorous sex can trigger heart attacks, and that doing the deed can literally blow your mind (and not in a good way).

What's worse, alcohol seems to increase the risk. But before you put on your chastity belt and ditch your appletini, let's discuss the specifics.

The first study, published in theJournal of the American Medical Association, found that sex, like other forms of physical activity, can trigger a heart attack — especially among those in the 50-60-something subset, who aren’t accustomed to the, um, exertion.

But even among older folks, the risks are small. What’s more, people with higher physical-activity levels experienced a lower — and often no increase in — risk of heart attack.

The second study, published in the scientific journal Stroke, found that sex is one of eight triggers — along with a strenuous workout and drinking coffee — that increase the risk of a rare intracranial aneurysm. In an intracranial aneurysm, weak spots in the brain’s blood vessels rupture and cause a stroke (but don’t panic: only two percent of the population suffer from these aneurysms, and few of them rupture).

Incidentally, your morning cup of joe is more likely to set off an aneurysm than sex, and so is blowing your nose, according to the researchers. The eight triggers, which seem to make a rupture more likely by inducing a sudden and short increase in blood pressure, are (in order):

On the plus side, experts agree that the health benefits of sex far outweigh the risks. Studies show that sex releases mood-boosting hormones, lowers blood pressure and may boost immunity, too. Getting busy once or twice a week has also been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can help stave off colds and other infections.

And don’t forget, all that kissing and canoodling takes energy, so while you’re getting it on, you’re burning calories, too. Just a half-hour between the sheets torches 47 calories (at least one couple made headlines by dropping pounds with no change to their lifestyle other than daily sex.)

Need another reason to call your partner over for a quickie? You’ll enjoy more restful sleep post-coitus, since the body releases the sleep-promoting oxytocin during an orgasm. Time to get busy!